Wind and Fire
by chakragoddess
Summary: A get-together romance fanfiction with a less mainstream pairing. If someone saved your life, wouldn't you now take notice of your savior? They'll need to get over the barrier of living in different villages and their extreme loyalty to each. I may add some Shikamaru x Temari in the future as well.
1. Chapter 1: Sakura's Dream

Hello everyone. After a much-needed few month break and not much motivation to write about any particular story-line, something finally caught my attention. Here in the US, Shippuden recently started over on TV from episode 1. So I watched it and this pairing came to mind. How do most romances start? Well, normally there is just a notice of the other person...and a sparking event of some sort. And for some reason, you gravitate towards the other person. Yeah, yeah - it's definitely starting to click.

I'm starting this out a little unconventionally...with a couple of dreams. Dreams are interesting because not only can you recall what happened on particular days, but you remember what you felt and what you were thinking as well. So things will really get going in chapter 3.

So I hope you enjoy this...I'm sure it will not be too long. Just the start of a new relationship - nothing too in-depth.

And remember..._thoughts are written in italics._

CG

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Once the confrontation was over, Sakura made a beeline to her small apartment in central Konoha. Once she had entered and closed the door, she paused for a few seconds to take inventory of what had just happened.

_That could have been bad_, she thought to herself. She took two deep breaths then proceeded to take off her shoes before leaving the doorway.

Sakura Haruno was a rookie genin who had only recently graduated from Konoha Academy, the school that trained the newest shinobi who would protect and serve the Leaf.

_I really need to learn to control my temper better. Damn that Naruto and his little wannabes. If it hadn't been for them, I never would have been put in that situation. _

She made her way to the bedroom so she could undress and prepare for a shower before hitting the sack. Kakashi-sensei, her leader for team 7, had already called a meeting early tomorrow morning.

The hot water felt great hitting her skin. She enjoyed how the warmth felt on her sore muscles after a solid day of effort. When she had finished, she turned off the water and opened the curtain. She stared at her immature body in the mirror.

_It's still hard to believe we can do what we can being so young._ Although she and her teammates were only almost thirteen years old, now that they were genin, they were asked to work just as hard as the adults did. Now that they were shinobi, life would be full of missions, training, or other service for the Leaf.

She exited the bathroom and put on her robe.

_Sand shinobi, eh? I thought that one with make-up was going to pummel Konohamaru. I know they have permission to be here, but they still give me the chills. That one with the make-up was pretty mean, but honestly, that one with the gourd and the tattoo on his face...he was downright frightening. _

She re-entered the bathroom to dry her hair.

_What's up with the make-up anyway?_ She thought of other shinobi she had seen over her short lifetime. She had seen weird hairstyles and weird ways of incorporating the headband, but never make-up...and certainly never on a man.

Finally, she climbed in between the sheets of her bed and laid there for a moment before closing her eyes.

_I guess it doesn't affect me either way. Naruto was excited about the chunin exam. But there's no way we're experienced enough to be recommended for that. Right?_


	2. Chapter 2: Kankuro's Dream

The events and most of the dialogue of the following "dream" belong to Naruto and its creators. I am just using their storyline as a base and adding a few new details so that I may move my fanfiction forward. I also, obviously, do not own the characters (though I wish I did! :) CG

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

His eyes flickered open and the pain that had engulfed him for so long had finally subsided for the most part. The last truly comfortable thought that he remembered was fighting with Sasori of the Red Sand, the rogue shinobi from Suna who had just had a hand in kidnapping his younger brother, Gaara, the Kazekage. He remembered being told that the poison, the source of all his pain, had already been administered and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Everything after that was a blur.

Now he was...here. _Where am I?_ he asked himself before immediately recognizing his surroundings as most likely being inside a room of the Suna hospital. He felt a brief relief wash over him only to be immediately replaced with alarm. He had failed, so what was the current situation?

"Kankuro?" Temari said lowly when she noticed his eyes were open.

"Temari...," Kankuro managed to utter. He wanted to speak, but not much was coming out. He heard someone nearby saying aloud that he had woken up.

He wanted to know who was nearby, but could only focus on his sister who was right in front of him. "Temari...you're back already?" Had he been out a long time? Wasn't she due back in another few days?

"I heard the village was in trouble," Temari answered. He figured she must have rushed back.

"I'm sorry...to be such a bother," he managed to say.

"Shut up...don't be ridiculous," she tried to appease him.

Kankuro could tell there were others now surrounding his bedside. He wasn't sure who they were, but was sure they weren't enemies else they wouldn't have been allowed there.

"Can you lead me to where Kankuro's fight with the Akatski took place?" a new, unknown voice asked. He heard Baki grunt a bit, questioning that last statement. "I'm known for having a pretty good nose for tracking if even the slightest trace of their scent remains on the scene."

Kankuro immediately tried to sit up to add his new information to the conversation. "There's no need for that," he said lowly. Sitting up brought new pain to his still unrecovered body. "Where are my puppets? I assume that my puppets were recovered, right?"

Kankuro went on to explain that not only could you probably track Gaara by his scent, but that he had also snatched a piece of clothing from his attacker.

"I've got his scent right here," Kankuro said at the same time his broken puppet's hand opened to reveal a ripped piece of cloth.

A new wave of pain it and Kankuro recoiled once again. Temari worriedly supported him until the pain passed. It was then that Kankuro could now clearly see who it was who was surrounding him. In addition to Baki and Temari and a few Suna medical staff, there was also two Leaf shinobi: Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki.

"Yes, he came all the way from the Leaf Village to help us," Temari explained as Kankuro continued to stare directly at Naruto.

Kakashi wasted no time and summoned his ninja hounds. They sniffed at the ripped piece of fabric and took off to find the offender immediately. Naruto was chomping at the bit to get going...and then Kankuro noticed them...

"Kankuro."

"Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizo? You're here?" Kankuro questioned.

He greeted his elders and answered all their questions about Sasori and the attack that had just happened. He knew that Sasori was the grandson of Lady Chiyo and that this news was not welcome despite the fact that he had betrayed the village almost two decades ago.

In the middle of that conversation, Kankuro noticed another new face in the mix_. Who is that?_

His eyes followed the pink-haired beauty that seemingly had the run of the room once she entered. Kankuro thought it strange that this new person, who had just entered for the first time, was acting so confidently as she worked.

"Sakura came with Kakashi and Naruto," Temari said noting Kankuro's eyes following the kuniochi. "She's the one that saved your life."

_That's Sakura Haruno?_ he thought to himself. She wasn't a stranger to him at all, though he hadn't seen her in a few years. She had certainly matured during those years. "She s-saved my...?"

His mind flashed back to the few times they had met starting with the very first time he had laid eyes on her during his first visit to Konoha. She had always seemed unremarkable to him other than the fact that she was on the same team as Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, both of whom were very notable to all three of the sand siblings.

"Yes, she's the one with the medical jutsu that removed most of the poison from your body before it could kill you. If we had waited for the antidote, you would be dead right now," Temari explained.

"I see," Kankuro noted to himself.

Sakura turned around with a cup of liquid in her hand. "This is the antidote," she explained. "This will take care of any remnants of the poison that are still in your body."

She immediately reached up. Kankuro could tell that she was going to help him pour it down. He readied himself to take it all.

It hit his tongue with an awful bitterness. His immediate reaction was to push it away, but he was able to suppress it as Sakura continued to pour.

When it was finally all gone, Kankuro coughed a few times. "There... you should be alright now. Just lie back and rest. Don't move around until the numbness passes," Sakura instructed. Kankuro couldn't help but admire this young woman and her confident demeanor. She was definitely all business.

Naruto, Kakashi and Baki shifted gears and started talking about the mission to rescue Gaara and having to travel far and fast the next day. Kankuro looked down at his still-hazy hand and thought about his failure to save his brother. The pure regret didn't last long as he caught sight of Naruto once again. He mind quickly turned to thinking about Naruto's role in Gaara's transformation. Before Naruto's influence, Kankuro was convinced that Gaara was pure evil and that he might even die by his hands someday. But now, what Kankuro was feeling was a mixture of thankful and hopeful - he was confident in what Naruto and his comrades were about to go do - though he did wish he were well enough to go along.

He continued to watch the three Leaf shinobi bantering about, smiling and putting their packs on as they readied to leave the room. "Naruto," Kankuro managed to whisper. Everyone turned to Kankuro. "Save my little brother, will you?"

"Don't worry, I will," Naruto replied. "After all, I'm going to be Hokage someday...and for now, the Kazekage can just owe me one."


	3. Chapter 3: New Missions Arise

Kankuro stumbled into the building where his brother's office was located.

_What was with that dream?_ he asked himself. It had seemed so real and so recent, but in actuality the kidnapping, the fight with Sasori and the poisoning had happened quite a few years ago. That event was when the Akatsuki had only started to take the tailed beasts from their jinchuriki. Now, even the Fourth Shinobi World War was but a distant memory and most of the affected lands and villages were nearly recovered from its carnage.

He climbed the stairs to the third floor and ran into Temari in the hallway outside of Gaara's office.

"He called for you, too?" she said to her brother when she saw him.

Kankuro grunted in the affirmative. It wasn't a normal thing for him to be summoned to the office of the Kazekage.

Temari noticed something was a little off with Kankuro. After a brief silence, she asked, "Are you alright? You look like something's bothering you."

He let out a slight smile at being caught - he had no idea he was showing any sort of expression on his face. "I'm fine. I just had a strange dream last night and for some reason, I can't stop thinking about it."

"Oh? What did you dream?" Temari asked.

"It was when I was coming to in the hospital after being poisoned by Sasori," Kankuro explained.

"Well, you have to admit that was an emotional, desperate time. We almost lost both you and Gaara that day. I don't doubt that trauma will stick with you for the rest of your life," Temari answered.

"Hm. I guess so," said Kankuro. But he still didn't understand why it would pop up now of all times.

The door to the Kazekage's office opened and one of the senior members of the council emerged. He looked at the siblings, nodded, and made his way down the hallway.

"Temari, Kankuro...," said a low voice from inside. He must now be ready for them. They entered.

Gaara was dressed casually as he normally did on regular business days. He was standing behind his desk, looking through the windows at the expanse of the Village Hidden in the Sand that lay before him.

"Gaara, you wanted to see us?" Temari asked.

Gaara turned to face his brother and sister. "Yes." He then took a seat at his desk.

"There are two international missions that have come to my attention and I have decided that they both require the involvement of my closest confidants," Gaara explained. "However, before I inform the assignment desk of anything, I wanted to discuss them with you and get your thoughts."

Temari and Kankuro both nodded.

"That reminds me," started Gaara. He opened up a drawer in his desk and took out a scroll. He placed it on his desk and pushed it towards Temari. "Here."

Temari grabbed the scroll and unfurled it. She blushed a slight shade of pink when she realized what it was.

"The council member who was just here received it in error and while he was here giving his report, he asked if I would be seeing you soon and if I could pass it along," explained Gaara.

"Uh, thanks," Temari said, rolling it back up. "I'll read it later."

Both Kankuro and Gaara knew who it was from even without looking at its contents. Since the end of the war, a relationship of some sort had blossomed between Shikamaru Nara of the Hidden Leaf and Temari. However, they weren't quite sure what the exact nature of the relationship was. After all, Temari and Shikamaru hardly ever saw each other. Most of their communication was done by sending messenger hawks to one another. Unfortunately, as in this case, many times those messages would get read by others as they tried to determine who the scroll was to be delivered to. It definitely wasn't a perfect system.

"So about the missions...?" Kankuro prompted.

"Yes," said Gaara, opening up a folder that was already on his desk. "One of the missions is highly diplomatic in nature. You are to be an ambassador of sorts for the Sand. There is going to be a celebration held in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. I cannot send just anyone for fear of offending the Raikage. It must be someone who he knows is well-respected and associated with the office of the Kazekage."

"Do you know what the celebration is for?" asked Temari.

"Apparently, the Raikage's heir is on its way," answered Gaara.

Temari shivered slightly. The Raikage was a fearsome bull of a man and she couldn't ever imagine wanting to be with someone that aggressive and foul-tempered.

"And the other?" Kakuro prompted.

"The other is much more like a real mission and I'm afraid there is potentially quite a bit of danger involved," said Gaara.

"That sounds right up my alley," said Kankuro.

"Hold on a minute, Kankuro. Last time we had to split up like this, you got to pick which mission you wanted to go on. It's my turn now and I'd much rather perform an operational mission than a diplomatic one," said Temari.

"So what's the mission?" Kankuro asked.

"I'm sorry to say that the Leaf has just shared some intel with us about a potential disciple of Sasori," said Gaara.

Temari and Kankuro weren't expecting that sort of news and both looked rather shocked. They both knew how powerful Sasori had become and the thought of another one of him was concerning.

"Initial word is that he is quite powerful in his own right. I'm sure you both realize that we cannot have another Sasori running around freely," said Gaara.

"But Gaara, the war ended a few years ago. Why now? Sasori's been dead for such a long time," said Temari.

"The Leaf didn't include a lot of specifics on why this person is coming forth now, or on what kind of Sasori-like potential they might have. The first step of this mission is to head to the Leaf to get the full story, then help decide on the next actions to take, and finally, form a joint team with the Leaf to execute the plan," said Gaara.

"I'll go pack my things right away...," started Kankuro.

"Hold on. _I'm_ taking that mission," said Temari.

"There is no way I'm going to let you go after someone who has the same abilities as Sasori. I almost died by that man's hand and now I have the experience to take someone like that on. I even got to fight him in the war when he came back to life," explained Kankuro.

"Are you saying I'm not capable?" asked Temari. "I fought the entire length of the war just like you did so don't treat me like I'm some rookie. I'm a jonin just like you."

"There is one other thing I have neglected to mention," interrupted Gaara.

"Yes?" Temari questioned.

"Shikamaru Nara...," Gaara started.

Temari's ears perked up.

"...will be representing the Leaf for the Raikage's ceremony. It makes sense since he is the Hokage's top advisor," Gaara finished.

"Shikamaru is going to the Cloud?" Temari questioned. Her defiant insistence of going on the operational mission just wavered in a big way.

Silence crept in as Temari thought about her choice.

"Oh, all right. I'll head to Cloud as well, but next time, Kankuro, I want...," Temari said.

Kankuro interrupted, "Oh no, this is _your_ choice. Next time I get first dibs on the missions."

She socked him in his upper arm, still feeling a little embarrassed that she had all but admitted she would rather see this Leaf shinobi rather than picking the more interesting, more dangerous mission.

"I'm going to go pack," said Kankuro.

"Take this file," said Gaara handing him over the folder with papers inside. "Get acquainted with what we know already."

"Sure, little brother. I'll say good-bye now...I'm going to get going at the crack of dawn tomorrow," said Kankuro.

Gaara nodded. "Be safe." Then Kankuro ran out the door.

Temari sighed.

"So what is it with you and Shikamaru anyway," Gaara asked.

"We're just good friends," said Temari. But she could tell that Gaara didn't believe her.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Tsunade had survived the war, but had decided that the five or so years she had spent as Hokage were enough for her. Just as the Third had done when the Fourth took over, Tsunade decided to step aside to let a new Hokage - the Sixth Hokage - take office. She would, of course, stay on as one of the village's main advisors.

Although he was young, there was only one individual who could fill the void left behind by Tsunade. That individual was Naruto. Tsunade thought long and hard about allowing Naruto to becoming Hokage at his young age. Although he had been through so much, the fact was that he didn't have a lot of life experience...and his common sense was not known to be the best either.

On the other hand, Naruto's service to the Leaf had to be considered. Not only had he saved countless lives during the encounter with Pain, the truth of the matter was, without him the Fourth World War couldn't have been won. In other words, he had saved both the village and the world, all before the age of 20. His greatest trait was his loyalty to his friends and comrades and now that he considered just about everyone in the world just that, he was in the perfect position to lead the village. However, just to be sure everything went as smoothly as possible, Tsunade did insist on a few things.

With the death of Shikaku Naru and the good rapport Naruto had with his son Shikamaru, Tsunade recommended that Shikamaru become Naruto's top advisor and right-hand man. Kakashi would also become one of Naruto's advisors. Naruto didn't mind these conditions one bit and readily accepted them. In fact, it was what he would have done without Tsunade's interference anyway.

There was one condition that Naruto did have a hard time with. It involved Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had also been a part of the war, fighting alongside the Allied Shinobi Forces. Once the war had concluded, Sasuke was once again declared a citizen of the Leaf in good standing by Tsunade. There were some shinobi who had a very hard time getting over his betrayal, but given Sasuke's circumstances - how he was manipulated all his life, and his new desire to come home - Tsunade let him rejoin the village with little fanfare. Naruto immediately accepted everything about Sasuke at face value and was able to flush away all that Sasuke had done over the past few years very easily. When Naruto went so far as to suggest Sasuke be an advisor, she finally put her foot down.

Although she also tried to believe that Sasuke was fully rehabilitated, she knew that trust could only be earned back over time. As a compromise, she allowed Naruto to designate Sasuke an ANBU black ops operative who would report directly to Naruto. It would then be Naruto's job to make sure he stayed in line. Given a stellar performance in this role, Tsunade assured Naruto that more opportunities might open up for Sasuke in the future. Naruto discussed this with Sasuke and they decided to accept these terms.

The final remaining member of the original Team 7 was Sakura Haruno. Sakura played an integral role in the war and was now recognized as one of the top medical shinobi in the world. She did a lot of work training the other medical shinobi here in the Leaf, but was also asked to go on missions to train medical shinobi at various villages around the world. It was an honor to be acknowledged in this way.

As busy as Team 7 was these days, they tried hard to meet with one another every so often, just to enjoy one another's company and tighten their bonds.

It was an evening just like many others when Sakura walked towards the sushi restaurant on the west side of the village. The restaurant didn't look like anything spectacular on the outside, but Sakura knew it had the reputation of being one of the best in the Leaf.

She arrived and brushed aside the beads hanging in the doorway. Immediately, she saw what she had come for. As she stepped towards the table, she noticed Kakashi's single eye squint into a grin as he waved at her. "Good evening, Sakura."

"Hi guys, did you order yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, but...," said Naruto.

A waitress stepped up to the table at that exact moment. "Are you ready to order?"

Naruto looked at Sakura knowing that she literally just arrived and most likely wouldn't be ready. "It's alright, I know what I want. I love this place and come here often," she assured him.

The four shinobi placed their orders and started to socialize as they waited.

"So, were you at the hospital all day?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah," said Sakura stretching her arms above her head. "It was really busy today. A lot of training mishaps that had to be fixed and bandaged. How about you guys? I kind of feel left out since you all are basically still working together in the tower every day."

"It was busy for us, too. We may all be together, but sometimes I wish we were outside training rather than trying to run the village from a small office. The paperwork is murder! I don't know what I'm going to do without Shikamaru for the next few days," said Naruto.

"Oh, where's he going?" Sakura asked.

"Raikage's having a kid," interrupted Sasuke flatly before taking a sip of sake. "Some sort of official celebration is happening."

"Oh c'mon Sasuke, you gotta be happy for the guy. I hope you're not like this when I have a kid," said Naruto.

Sasuke almost did a spit-take. The thought of Naruto having children...or even all it would take for him to get to that point overloaded his mind for a second there.

"Then there is that thing going on near the western edge of the Land of Fire," added Kakashi.

"Kakashi, you aren't supposed to talk about that in public," said Naruto.

"I am aware of that, but under the circumstances, I think Sakura should be made aware. She is the one who killed the original after all," Kakashi explained.

"The original?" Sakura repeated.

No one said anything for a few seconds.

"Oh, alright. If you feel so strongly about it, go ahead and tell her," said Naruto. "But keep your voice down."

"So what's going on?" Sakura asked.

"There is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow that I think you should be present at. It's about an operational joint mission with shinobi from Sand," said Kakashi.

_Sand?_ she thought to herself. _That's weird...I just had that dream last night..._

"It's a rogue shinobi who is living in the western Land of Fire," added Sasuke.

"Will you guys stop beating around the bush?" Sakura asked.

"He's...it seems he is an admirer of Sasori of the Red Sand," explained Naruto. "And from what we've heard, he is just about as powerful."

_Sasori?_ she thought to herself, quite stunned_. Another Sasori?_

"And with your previous experience with Sasori himself, both Tsunade and myself think you should be involved," said Kakashi.


	4. Chapter 4: Trip to the Leaf

Kankuro's eyes flickered open. He never slept well on nights before missions. He had been doing this sort of work for nearly 10 years now and he was beginning to accept this as something that would never change about him. He looked over at the clock. It read 3:47am.

_Damn_, he thought to himself as he lie there pondering his next move. Go back to sleep? Unlikely even if he tried. It was only a minute later when he swung his legs over the side of his bed and he popped up bound to get things underway.

_At least today is only a travel day. Even without a lot of sleep I should be alright. _

First he tackled the basics...washing his face, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. He then made his way to the small kitchen to get a quick bite to eat before packing and being on his way.

The folder was left on the kitchen table last evening. He opened it to glance at the information inside once again. There really wasn't much there to be honest. Just the guy's name, location, and a list of some of the crimes he had committed. One thing that caught Kankuro's attention was the puppetry. Some of the crimes had been rather brutal to be honest and he wondered how someone with a love for puppetry similar to his own could use them in such a sadistic way. That's when he thought of Sasori and he quickly considered his own question answered.

After breakfast, he closed the folder and inserted it into the pack he had planned to bring with him. He added some food rations, fire starter, and a bottle of water as well.

_I guess that's it...I'm ready, except for..._

He stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes before emerging with full Kabuki paint on his face.

_It's time to get going..._

He left his small home and made his way to the front gate of Suna. No, it wasn't actually a gate. It was more like a small crack between two giant rock walls; a crack that was easily guarded by the shinobi of Suna. It was the one and only easy way in and out of the village.

Kankuro reached the entrance of the long portal to the desert in no time. It was still dark out with only a red haze in the eastern sky to indicate the approaching sunrise. This time of day everything was so peaceful. The only people he passed were those regular hardworking citizens who were up early preparing for the long workday ahead.

"Um, sensei?" said a voice from a nearly hidden person within the passageway. Kankuro surely had his guard down given where he was and what he was doing, but he just barely caught sight of the figure of a person as he sprinted past him. He immediately put on the brakes and turned around.

"Kankuro-sensei?" said the figure, now walking towards him.

Kankuro bent over, hands on knees to catch his breath. "Who...are...you?"

"Jento is my name. It's very nice to meet you," said the now visible shinobi boy looked like he was in his early teens.

"Can I help you?" Kankuro asked, still a little confused.

"Oh, yes. I was told that I would be going on a mission with you today. It's just the two of us, actually," Jento explained to his much more experienced counterpart.

"And who exactly assigned you to this mission?" Kankuro asked. _And why wasn't I told about it?_

"I was told the orders came from the Kazekage himself," Jento explained. "I see that you were, in fact, unaware of my having been assigned. I was actually told that it was probably the case, which is why I am here so early. Since this is the entrance and exit to the village, I knew that you'd be by. I also know that you tend to get started on missions outside of the village very early. So I stood here waiting for you."

Kankuro sighed. This wasn't the first time that additional personnel were assigned to missions without his knowledge. Gaara must have thought it best for this shinobi to accompany him, so there was nothing to do but trust his brother.

"Jento, you are a genin, correct?" Kankuro asked. Jento nodded. "What is your specialty? Are you a member of the puppet corps? Nah, you can't be. I would have met you by now since I teach puppetry at the Academy."

"You are correct, sensei. I am not talented in the realm of puppetry," explained Jento. "I am more of a strategist actually. I am not all that powerful, but they tell me that my intellect is actually quite high. I retain most information that I'm privy to."

_Oh great...a guy who probably thinks he knows it all. I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, for now._

"Well, not only should we get to know each other a little bit, but we should discuss the expectations of this mission," said Kankuro. "Let's get going...we have three days of travel before we arrive at the Leaf. That should be plenty enough time for us to talk."

And with that, Kankuro took the lead ahead of Jento and started on the trip to Konoha.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

"Hey Izumo. Kotetsu. How are things at the gate today?" asked Sakura.

"Quiet, as usual," Izumo answered the pink-haired kuniochi. "What do we owe the pleasure?"

"We're expecting company," answered Sakura.

"Well, we're always expecting _someone_, aren't we?" questioned Izumo. For whatever reason, somehow both he and Kotetsu were assigned at the front gate to Konoha more often than not.

"There's a new mission and I'm on it," started Sakura. "It's a joint mission with the Sand."

"So they let you out of the hospital?" Kotetsu asked.

"Exactly. I'm officially off duty at the hospital and I had a little time on my hands. They are due about now, so I figured I'd take a stroll to visit you guys and see if anyone's getting close," said Sakura.

"So how has life as a medical shinobi been lately?" Kotetsu asked.

"Not bad," answered Sakura, noting that she was now involved in what was known as small talk. Although she was acquaintances with both Izumo and Kotetsu, they certainly weren't on her list of close friends. But it was nice that they wanted to drive up a conversation no matter how light the topic.

The small talk lasted a good ten minutes before Sakura figured that she wasn't going to be lucky enough to greet any Sand shinobi as they arrived at the village. It just wasn't her lucky day.

"If they do come, feel free to send a messenger for me. Like I said, they are coming for a joint mission that I'm on and I'm more than happy to be their escort," said Sakura. "There's no sense calling for anyone else."

"We sure will," said Kotetsu. "Thanks for letting us know."

Sakura started walking away from the two guards. Their gaze followed her as she started to walk back into the village. She turned and gave them a friendly wave.

It was right at that moment that Izumo suddenly noticed a new presence in front of him and the sound of someone clearing his throat.

"Whoa!" Izumo shouted. He hadn't even noticed anyone approaching.

"Well if it isn't Kankuro from the Village Hidden in the Sand," said Kotetsu.

"...and friend?" added Izumo noticing a much smaller shinobi standing in Kankuro's shadow.

"Sakura!" Kotetsu had the presence of mind to call after her. Sakura turned and noticed the new figures who had just arrived. She jogged back over to the desk at the gate.

Kankuro noticed Sakura coming over and his mind was once again reminded of that dream from the other night. Sakura's mind played the same tricks and she found herself thinking of her dream. Each thought how ironic it was to be meeting with someone they only recently dreamt about not very long ago.

"Kankuro, I see you made it. Welcome," Sakura greeted her fellow shinobi. "How was your journey?"

"We had no problems at all. I just had to go a little slower this time to allow Jento a little breathing room," Kankuro said to Sakura.

"Jento?" she questioned.

Hearing his name, Jento stepped up and nodded his head at Sakura. She smiled at his polite gesture.

"My name's Sakura Haruno. I'm a jonin here in Konoha and I'm also on this joint mission with you. Feel free to ask me for anything you might need while you are here," she said.

"Thank you," Jento replied. _Sakura Haruno? She was the one who..._

"Are they ready to go in?" Sakura asked. She turned her gaze to the two gatekeepers just to make sure entrance into the village was ok.

"They're all signed in," noted Izumo.

"Shall we then?" Sakura gestured with her hand, indicating it was ok to start walking.

Sakura escorted the two shinobi to the building where their room was for the night. After a three day journey, a nice hot shower was definitely welcome. There was little time for rest, however. They wanted to get a bite to eat before the meeting with the Hokage and his advisors was set to begin early that afternoon.

"Where would you like to eat?" Sakura asked.

"Is there a place to get sushi nearby?" Jento asked.

"Strike that," Kankuro immediately interrupted. "We'd probably best get something quick and near the tower so we are definitely not late to the meeting."

"Don't worry Jento, we can do sushi this evening. How about we hit the noodle shop right across the street from Hokage tower? It's actually quite good."

"Yes, that sounds fine," said Jento.

They made their way to the noodle shop where they were served their orders in no time at all. They took seats at a long table with benches instead of chairs.

"This is actually quite good," Jento noted after slurping in a spoonful of noodles.

"How is yours Kankuro?" Sakura asked.

"Hm-mmm," he tried to answer with noodles sticking out of his mouth.

Just then another shinobi sat down next to Sakura. "Hey."

Kankuro noted someone now sitting on his other side as well. "Kankuro, I see you made it."

This trip was Jento's first time outside of his village as a shinobi and he was not sure about these two new shinobi who had just sat down. But based on what they looked like and the research he had done he had a pretty good idea who they were.

He practically fell over himself trying to get up from the table. "Uh...oh...Lord Hokage, I'm...," he mumbled as he tried to stop looking like a idiot practically falling to the ground in his haste.

"Jento, what are you doing?" Kankuro chided his fellow Sand shinobi.

"Sensei, isn't that...the Hokage sitting next to you?" he asked.

"Yeah, so what? He's a good friend of mine," Kankuro answered. "There's a time and place for formality and this noodle shop isn't it."

Jento felt like a bit of a fool. He turned a bit pink as he carefully sat back down at the table so he could finish the rest of his lunch.

"Naruto, Shikamaru, this is Jento. He is on this mission with me. He's genin, but I'm told he's quite a sharp thinker which is why he was sent on this mission," explained Kankuro.

"Sharp thinker? Perhaps someone to try to rival me?" Shikamaru quipped.

"I'm sure no one will ever be as smart as you, Shikamaru," said Sakura jokingly appeasing her friend's ego. "Though, I would bet on a Suna shinobi over you for matters involving the Sand."

"You never know...I know quite a bit about...," Shikamaru started to answer, but noted pretty quickly that he was taking this much too seriously.

"So Naruto, who is going to be on this mission?" Kankuro asked.

"The two of you, Sakura and probably one more from the Leaf. I haven't decided who yet though...we'll discuss that this afternoon," Naruto answered.

"I can tell you who it won't be," Shikamaru added.

"Yeah, I know already," said Kankuro. "You're headed to Cloud."

"Hey, how did you...oh, right," Shikamaru said flatly.

"Don't worry. Temari will be there. She wanted this mission until she heard you were going to Cloud for the Raikage's celebration," noted Kankuro.

"She is?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Let me just say this once...I don't know what you two are up to, but do not hurt my sister," said Kankuro.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Shikamaru replied with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5: First Meeting

The joint Sand-Leaf meeting to discuss what to do about the dangerous new puppet master who was flaunting his desire to be just like Sasori commenced just after lunch. They used a small room down the hallway from the Hokage's office instead of the office itself just so they would not be interrupted frequently. Inside the room was Naruto, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Tsunade, Sakura, Kankuro and Jento.

After the mandatory pleasantries were completely taken care of, the meeting began with a serious tone.

"Here is a file with all the information we have about this puppet master who now resides in the western Land of Fire," noted Kakashi, pushing a small stack of papers in a folder across the table to Kankuro. Kankuro picked up the folder and opened it as Kakashi continued to speak.

"From what we can tell, this individual has been living in his home in this same small village for the past 11 years. He seems to be alone - there has been no family to speak of. A few ANBU have been sent to scout out the situation a bit. They report that generally the villagers have little interaction with him, but also that they have no ill will towards him either. Their vision of him is as a hardworking craftsman, though not one of them could tell us what he actually made," stated Kakashi.

"Perhaps it was because he brought in a lot of wood and tools," surmised Kankuro. "After all, if he is a puppet master, he still needs supplies and equipment to make the puppets themselves."

"Good point," noted Tsunade. She looked over at Kakashi and nodded so he would continue.

"He appears to be approximately 30 years old. Normal height and build. Red hair," added Kakashi.

"Red hair?" Sakura questioned immediately. She immediately thought of Sasori.

"That's just too weird," said Kankuro. "I wonder if it is really his or if he dyes it to match his idol."

"It's difficult to know at this point," said Naruto. "Other than the fact that his crimes in the region are very real, we don't truly know if he is a psychopath emulating an idol of his, or if there is true reason behind his actions. This includes the red hair."

"Um," Jento interrupted. "I need to use the bathroom." He pointed at the door looking very awkward. The audience who had been prepared for something more to be added to the conversation instead of this inappropriate statement simply turned their attention back to the matter at hand. Jento, noting that his request had been tacitly acknowledged and ignored, got up from his seat and left the room.

"I don't know if this would be of any help, but I do have the Sasori puppet with me," added Kankuro, who immediately grabbed a scroll and rolled it out on the table in front of him.

As he prepared to release the puppet, Sakura said, "Kankuro, are you sure we should be continuing without Jento here?"

He held up two fingers and in a poof, the Sasori puppet was now on the table, just in front of Kankuro.

"It's fine," he answered. "He'll only be gone a minute and whatever he misses, I can tell him later."

"Alright, it's up to you," Sakura answered.

"Now this is Sasori's puppet body," said Kankuro.

"Did you ever figure out if that is actually Sasori, or if that is just a creation by Sasori made to look like him?" asked Sakura.

"No, I never did figure that one out. I did see Sasori as an Edo Tensei, so I can confirm that this is a true representation of Sasori as a teenager. It is, in fact, a puppet made from a human...we just don't know if that human was Sasori's original body or not. "

"Yes, it definitely looks like a teenaged Sasori. Although I never saw him in the flesh myself, Lady Chiyo did say that it looked like him when he left the village two decades before we fought him," confirmed Sakura.

"Kakashi, has Leaf ANBU confirmed if this new puppet master is still using wood puppets only? Or has he also found a way to use humans?" asked Kankuro.

"We have been unable to determine that," said Kakashi. "There are not many survivors when he attacks and even the few survivors we have questioned are laymen...they do not know anything about traditional vs. human-based puppets. They can only state that puppets were used."

"I see," said Kankuro. "Have you established this puppet master's name yet?"

"We are not 100% confident about his name, but several villagers thought it was Kanoshi," said Kakashi.

"Kanoshi," said Kankuro, taking in the name of the man who might be his next opponent.

"We propose an joint mission between Leaf and Sand," said Shikamaru. "A mission that will start out as additional fact-finding, but could very well end with the capture or even killing of Kanoshi."

"Agreed," said Kankuro. "However, I do have recommendations regarding the team."

Just then Jento re-entered the room, walked to his seat and sat down.

"I'm sure we are on the same page, but let's hear what you have to say," said Shikamaru.

"Obviously the two main leads of this mission should be myself and Sakura," said Kankuro. "We have had the most experience and interaction with Sasori himself."

"Definitely," agreed Naruto. Most everyone in the room nodded or looked to be in agreement.

"Jento is free to come along, though he will not be actively engaging the enemy," said Kankuro. "He is an expert at strategy and intelligence, but as a recent Academy graduate, he does not have the experience yet to engage a dangerous puppeteer. Also, I do think there needs to be one more member on the team."

"Who do you have in mind?" asked Naruto.

"Sai," said Kankuro. "He was on my team during the war and I had the opportunity to fight by his side. I know his moves and his capabilities. He was with me when I briefly encountered Edo Tensei Sasori so he also has some knowledge about him. Plus, he is on Sakura's team here in the Leaf, so she is very familiar with him as well."

"Agreed," said Naruto. "Sai will be an excellent addition to the team. Shikamaru, will you inform him to meet us in this room tomorrow morning? We will go over all the data with him then."

"Sure," said Shikamaru, who pulled out a small scroll and started writing.

"We should adjourn until tomorrow morning then," said Naruto. "It seems that it is almost time for dinner. We've been discussing this issue most of the afternoon. Is anyone up for barbeque?"

"Jento, would you mind barbeque instead of sushi?" asked Sakura.

"I don't mind at all," said Jento. He was surprised Sakura had remembered his earlier request. After all, no one seemed to be paying him much attention ever since he arrived in the Leaf.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

A large room at the barbeque restaurant was quickly prepared for the Hokage and his guests. The formal tone from that afternoon had quickly changed into something more upbeat and friendly. The dinner was large and tasty and really hit the spot for the travelers from the Sand.

Kankuro noted that things in the Leaf seemed to be very much the same, though different in many ways. Naruto was still Naruto even though he had become Hokage. He obviously leaned on his advisors, as any new leader should do so that they can learn the ropes of governance and leadership.

Tsunade hadn't said very much all day - he thought that was more her giving Naruto plenty of runway to work as the new Hokage. If he had said anything wrong, he was sure she would have been the first to pipe up and call him out on it.

Kakashi and Shikamaru seemed to both be enjoying their status at Naruto's side, though he surmised it was probably for different reasons. Shikamaru was a natural strategist and thinker. His natural position would be at the side of a powerful leader and it was where he belonged. Kankuro's impression of Kakashi, on the other hand, was one of a man who did not like to be stagnant. He knew Kakashi would be more than happy to fill any role that benefitted the Leaf the most (he did almost become Hokage himself, didn't he?), but knew it wouldn't be long until Kakashi would be asking to supplement his days with some sort of additional activity.

Kankuro turned to look at Sakura. _Beautiful as ever_, he thought to himself. _...and intelligent ...and strong._ In fact, she seemed to be perfect in so many ways. Again, he thought back to that dream. She had saved him that day. She concocted an antidote that no one in Sand could come up with that quickly, then whisked away with her team to take on the Akatsuki and bring home the Kazekage. He added up all these accomplishments, just on that one mission alone and he was in temporary awe.

"Kankuro?" she questioned.

"Oh...I, um...sorry," he said. "I was in la la land for a second there." She had seen him seemingly staring in her direction. She smiled at his apology.

"You must be tired then," she added. "Do you need me to escort you back to your room?"

"I'm fine for now," Kankuro answered. "Jento and I can go back when everyone else here is done. We don't need any special treatment."

"Got it," she acknowledged. "Pardon me for a bit," she addressed the entire table. She got up and left the group.

The talking and reminiscing continued at the table. Before long, ten minutes had passed. No one seemed to notice the empty space where Sakura once sat. All of the shinobi here were her friends and teammates...they probably didn't think twice about her absence. But still, Kankuro wondered where she had gone.

He got up from his seat and wandered towards the bathroom. He noted there was a small patio out a door near the bathroom and saw a single figure outside looking up. He looked closer...it was her.

Sakura heard the door open and turned to see who was coming. He walked up and took a seat next to her on a small concrete wall.

"It's been a while since I've seen you," said Kankuro.

"Well, I've _seen_ you a few times since the end of the war...we just haven't had an opportunity to talk or anything," Sakura noted.

"Very true," said Kankuro. "How have you been?"

Sakura smiled. "I've been well. How about you...how are Temari and Gaara?"

"I've been quite well," said Kankuro. "As Kazekage, Gaara is definitely enjoying this peaceful time. Temari and I normally work with him on day-to-day tasks. That is, when he isn't sending us off to different villages for various reasons."

"I guess Temari will be leaving for the Land of Lightning pretty soon. I heard Shikamaru say he's leaving tomorrow. Those two...I wonder if they'll ever get it together," said Sakura.

"Tell me about it. It's like she's super embarrassed that she likes him. She tries to keep her feelings hidden away from us. I don't get it," said Kankuro. "Not only that, but from what I can tell, he feels the same way.

"I get it," said Sakura. "It's something special, so she doesn't want to share it with anyone...well, anyone other than Shikamaru. I wonder how they'll make that work in the long run being from two different villages and all."

"Does it matter?" asked Kankuro. "It's not like there's a rush to get married or anything. Can't they just enjoy the relationship the way it is now?"

Sakura slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, you're right."

The conversation stopped for a brief moment.

"So what about you?" Sakura asked. "Is there someone special in your life right now?"

"Me?" Kankuro asked rhetorically. "Nah, I've been too busy with shinobi life. I teach at the Academy and I am an advisor to Gaara. There isn't much time for anything else."

"Oh come on," said Sakura. "I don't buy it. You just haven't met the right girl yet. I have a feeling that when you do, somehow you'll find the time for her in your busy life."

"You think so? Well, how about you?" Kankuro attempted to turn it around on his companion.

Sakura looked down at her hands that were laying in her lap. "Same thing, I suppose. I am one of the top medical shinobi in the world. It is my responsibility to serve the Leaf in that capacity as well as teach the next generation here and elsewhere all that I know. But I also think that when the right guy comes along, for a while at least, all things will take a back seat to him."

"For a while?" questioned Kankuro.

"Since the war, I have seen plenty of my friends pair off. Most are probably on the path to marriage, but one thing I can tell you. While they both have googly-eyes for one another, friends, job, hobbies...they all take a back seat until things settle down," explained Sakura.

"Kami, I hope I don't go through that," said Kankuro.

Sakura giggled. "You know you will...it may sound bad, but I'm sure it's wonderful if you are the one going through it."

Again, another pause in the conversation. The door near the bathrooms opened and Shikmaru and Jento appeared.

"Where did you two disappear to?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just getting some fresh air," answered Sakura.

"Well, we're almost ready to go," said Shikamaru. "They are just finishing their tea and paying the bill."

"Are you ready Kankuro? Dinner's over and we can probably get going," said Sakura.

Kankuro grunted as he got up from the ledge he had been sitting on. "Yeah, we should go. Jento and I could both use a good rest tonight."

"Good night then," said Shikmaru. "We'll meet at the pre-appointed time tomorrow morning in that same room."

Kankuro, Jento, and Sakura left the small courtyard and started walking in the general direction of where Kankuro and Jento would be staying. Kankuro and Sakura walked side-by-side while Jento brought up the rear.

"With all your medical work, are you nervous at all about confronting someone else like Sasori?" asked Kankuro.

"Sure I'm nervous," admitted Sakura. "But I'm as prepared as ever. I always keep up my physical training just as much as my medical training."

"Are you as strong now as when you faced Sasori?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm at least as strong as I was then and I have an advantage now, too. When I fought Sasori, I wasn't prepared at all for his type of battle. Now I know exactly what to expect," she explained. "Aren't you nervous? He did almost kill you after all."

"I'm much more skillful than I was back then. I have several more puppets at my disposal and I lead the puppet division in the Sand now. There isn't anyone that can beat me at puppet jutsu. If it ends up a puppet vs. puppet battle, I will definitely win," said Kankuro.

"The only thing I wish is that we had more personal intel on this guy. We know what he did, but we don't know why and we don't really know who he is. We only know he seems to have some sort of vendetta, and that he is emulating Sasori. If this new enemy has any real connection to Sasori, we would be hard-pressed to know what it is," said Sakura.

"I'm sorry to say I don't know much about Sasori or his family. Lady Chiyo is his grandmother and Lord Ebizo is his grand-uncle. He was an amazing puppet master and I studied his notes, but that's about it. Perhaps if we knew his history, we could find the connection between Kanoshi and Sasori," said Kankuro.

"Excuse me...," interrupted Jento. He had rushed forward and grabbed Kankuro by his arm.

"What is it?" Kankuro pulled his arm away and stopped walking, turning to look at the young genin.

"I think I might be able to help," said Jento. "I have studied Sasori in great detail. If you have questions, I might be able to answer them."

"You know his background? I mean, beyond the well-known everybody knows stuff?" asked Kankuro.

"Yes, I know a lot about him. Whether I know more than you or anyone else remains to be seen, but I believe I can add to this mission," stated Jento.

"You're bringing this up now?" Kankuro asked. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Sakura interjected. "I think that may have been when he was in the bathroom."

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "You're on tomorrow morning then. Make sure you are prepared."


	6. Chapter 6: Jento's Contribution

Sakura, Kankuro and Jento were the first ones to arrive in the meeting room the next morning.

"Hello," said a dark-haired, pale shinobi as he entered the room. He held up his hand and smiled a genuine smile.

Sakura was talking with Jento at the time. She spun around when she heard Sai's voice. "Good morning," she greeted him.

"Have you been briefed at all about the mission yet?" Kankuro asked.

"I'm afraid not," Sai replied. "I didn't get home until late and didn't get the message about this meeting and the mission it was about until then. Otherwise, I would have tried to find out a little more before coming here this morning."

"Don't worry about it, Sai. I'm sure they are fine giving you all the details this morning," said Sakura.

"But - ," said Sai. He was a little put off wasting other people's time just so he could be brought up to speed.

"I didn't get a chance to request you as part of the team until yesterday's initial meeting was more than half over," said Kankuro. "So don't worry about us. If anything, repetition makes it sink in more."

"Oh...ok," Sai replied. "Thanks."

"Good morning, everyone," said Naruto. Behind him walked Tsunade, Shikamaru and Kakashi. They had obviously been doing some work this morning in the Hokage's office already. All of them took the very same seats they had from yesterday. "Are we ready to get started?"

"Before we get too deep into anything...," said Kankuro.

"Yes?" Naruto questioned.

Kankuro looked at Jento.

"Oh! I, um...I-I might have some additional information for this mission," said Jento.

"Information about what?" asked Shikamaru.

"Although I recently graduated from the Academy, I've known for a while that my specialty was going to be more intelligence and strategy," explained Jento.

"Well, that's good and all, but we really don't have time to...," interrupted Kakashi.

"Hold on, let him finish," said Kankuro. "Go on, Jento." He looked at his fellow Sand shinobi with encouraging eyes.

"My apologies," said Jento. "Sometimes I don't speak very well when under pressure. Anyway, one of the gifts that I have is that I have found that I can remember just about anything I've experienced perfectly."

Though he thought he had gotten his point across, the silence in room told him that he apparently had not.

"Meaning...if I've read, seen, heard something, I tend to remember it. As one of the greatest Sand puppeteers of all time, I have read quite a bit about Sasori and his background. If you are looking for information regarding him and why this rogue shinobi might have a connection to him, I might be able to help," said Jento.

"Why didn't you say so?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yes, that would be very helpful," added Tsunade.

"Fine," said Naruto. "But first, I want to fill Sai in on the basics of what we know first. That will take no more than a half hour. Then we will give you the floor, Jento."

Jento nodded his understanding.

It didn't take long at all for Sai to be given the basics of what had been going on near the Land of Fire border with this new threat. He didn't say a word as he took it all in.

"Now, we need to move on to the next thing," said Kakashi. He turned to look at Jento. "But before that, I wanted to recommend that we send a hawk to the Sand Village as soon as possible. It's something we probably should have done last night before we adjourned."

"What for?" asked Kankuro.

"Well, I don't yet know what this boy knows, but to be safe, we should get the information about Sasori sent to us as soon as possible," said Kakashi.

"Listen, Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto. "At this point, let's just see what Jento can tell us first. You're right - we probably should have sent a hawk last night. But we didn't. So if we don't get what we need from Jento, I'll send you out to prep the message immediately. At worse, this will only cost us another hour or two."

Kakashi looked at the Hokage. "Alright...if you think so."

"Now Jento, what can you tell us about Sasori and how he may have a connection to this man Kanoshi," said Naruto.

Jento looked at him funny. "Excuse me...who?"

Kakashi looked like he was about to throw a fit. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"You know...Kanoshi. Though it isn't confirmed, that's the name we think this new puppeteer goes by," explained Naruto. "That piece of intelligence was mentioned yesterday."

Jento sat there in silence for a moment. Then he smiled and laughed aloud. He slapped his forehead.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"There's no need to send a hawk," said Jento. "I think I may know who this enemy is."

Kankuro exhaled in frustration. "Why didn't you say anything yesterday?"

Sakura looked at him. "Again, I think it was when he was in the bathroom. Remember you said you were going to fill in him with what he missed when I asked if we should wait for him to continue?"

Kankuro blushed a little. "Oh...yeah."

"So Jento, please fill us in," said Shikamaru, who didn't especially like being kept in the dark about anything.

"Oh, right. During my final year at the Academy, my class did a project on how to properly do research for intelligence purposes. By that time, I had already done a lot of research on Sasori. I was, at that time, very intrigued by something that hardly anyone ever talked about," explained Jento.

"What was it?" asked Kankuro.

"Sasori's father," said Jento. "He was an important shinobi at one point, but both his mother and his son both were much more notable for various reasons. Sasori, of course, became a member of the Akatsuki and had kidnapped and killed both the Third and Fifth Kazekages. His mother was Lady Chiyo, who among other things, gave her life in the rescuing of the Fifth Kazekage."

"Sasori's father?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes. Lord Kankuro, do you even know his name?" Jento asked.

"His name? Of course, wasn't he...," Kankuro replied.

"See? No one knew much about him. Well, he was my research project. I was determined to find any and all intelligence about him. I thought that perhaps, there might be something in his history that might explain why Sasori ended up like his did...something beyond the fact that he lost his parents at such a young age," explained Jento.

"What was your conclusion?" Sakura asked.

"I did find a lot of information out about him, though I can't say that anything really stuck out as an additional reason for Sasori's behavior," said Jento. "But I did find out he was the cause of a few really interesting family secrets."

"Jento, why don't you start at the beginning and tell us everything. We don't want to miss anything," Kankuro suggested.

"Good idea," Jento agreed. "Let me start with the basic family structure starting with Sasori. His parents were named Akashi and Josei. Akashi's mother was Lady Chiyo and his uncle was Lord Ebizo."

Jento looked around to see nodding in the room. Most of those present seemed to already be aware of these well-known facts.

"I see that you are all very aware of this already. I'm sure you are also aware that Akashi and Josei died on a mission when Sasori was very young. His grandmother took him in and started raising him. She introduced him to puppetry and taught him many of her puppetry skills. Among the first puppets he ever made were the Mother and Father puppets that Kankuro here currently carries with him. They are designed to look like Akashi and Josei."

Again, a lot of nodding.

"But where does Kanoshi come in?" asked Kakashi.

"Hold on, I'm getting there," said Jento. "How many of you were aware that Sasori had a half-brother?"

"Half-brother?" Kankuro repeated looking rather astonished. "But how...?"

"It's obviously not Kanoshi," stated Shikamaru. "The ages don't match up."

"You're right, Shikamaru," said Jento.

"Wait, how come I've never heard of this?" said Kankuro.

"It's probably because, like I said, it was intended to be a family secret. I only found it by digging deep into the archives when I was specifically looking for information about Akashi. Sasori's half-brother was born to Akashi before Josei ever came into his life, and well before Sasori was ever thought of. I doubt you'd find this information by just looking into Sasori's background," Jento explained.

"So, who was this half-brother?" asked Kankuro.

"His name was Hitori. His mother was a simple villager by the name of Suri Utsukushi. They were both very young when they met. In fact, I don't think Chiyo knew about it until it was too late and Suri was already with child. Chiyo very much disapproved of the relationship. Akashi was only 16 when Hitori was born," explained Jento.

"Wow. So young," said Sakura matter-of-factly. She thought of the Chiyo she knew and could see immediately how she might frown upon this sort of thing.

"So then what?" Kankuro asked. He was still astounded that there was so much here that he never had a clue about. "Whatever happened to Hitori?"

"I continued the research," stated Jento. "Now that I found a half-brother, I thought it the only diligent thing to do was to dig a little deeper into his history as well. It turned out that Suri and Hitori were kept away from Akashi, mainly by Chiyo. Years went by and Akashi eventually met Josei, married, and together they had Sasori. The Sand financial records show that Chiyo did funnel some of her earnings directly to Suri. My guess is that this was in some way payment to stay away from her son and her family. Suri died when Hitori was 15...and when she died, the money stopped coming as well."

"That's sad," interjected Sai. "Though obviously being on your own at 15 isn't the end of the world." He knew it himself as he looked squarely at Naruto who he could tell was thinking something similar. They had both been parentless from almost the very beginning of their lives.

"It was then that Hitori joined the Sand shinobi corps," stated Jento.

"I've never heard of him," said Kankuro.

"I'm not surprised," added Jento. "His track record was nothing special. He never made it beyond genin, though he was a member of the puppet corps."

"So he knew puppet jutsu, eh?" Kankuro said aloud.

Kakashi sighed. "So where does Kanoshi come in?" he asked again. His tone was stern as if he was making the point that they still didn't know anything about the current threat.

Jento looked at him and could tell he was getting frustrated. "Kanoshi was...is the name of Hitori's only son."

"You're kidding," said Shikamaru. "Finally."

"It makes total sense," said Naruto.

"Hold on, we still don't know if this Kanoshi is the same as the threat today...we also aren't 100% sure that his name _is_ Kanoshi," said Tsunade. "Stop jumping to conclusions."

"It was said earlier that the beginning of the mission is additional fact-finding," said Sai. "It should be easy enough to figure it out."

"If he even talks to us," added Sakura.

"Jento...is there anything else?" Kankuro asked.

"A few things... For one, I did find one reference in the archives that Hitori had shown Kanoshi some of his puppet jutsu," said Jento.

"There you have it!" interrupted Kankuro.

"...and that he never became a shinobi. In fact, all records of Kanoshi abruptly ended when he turned 18...the same year that Hitori died. I believe he must have left the village at that time."

Jento stopped speaking and the room fell quiet. "Jento, thank you for that information," Naruto stated. "You have given us a great lead to investigate."

"But what about motive?" asked Shikamaru.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jento answered. "No, I guess not. There were definitely a lot of hard feelings about Akashi. From the time Hitori was very small, the fact that they were shunned angered Suri. I think there is a good possibility that the anger she felt was passed along to Hitori and possibly even to Kanoshi."

"No matter what his true motives are, we aren't going to know anything for sure until we pay him a visit and see for ourselves," said Kankuro. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm really raring to get going."

"It's not that far to the border village," said Sakura. She stood up as Shikamaru rolled out a map on the table in front of her.

"I'd say six hours on foot," Shikamaru said as he pointed his finger at the Leaf and dragged it to their intended destination.

"Tomorrow morning then," said Sakura. "We'll take the rest of the day today to prepare. I need to buy a few kunai and shuriken at the weapon's shop."

"The four of us should meet later to make and put together an infiltration plan," added Sai.

"Agreed," said Kankuro.

"I see no reason not to leave it there," said Naruto. "I trust that you guys will do what's best for both Sand and Leaf in this matter. Be careful out there. Dismissed."


	7. Chapter 7: The Mission Begins

The four shinobi - two from the Leaf and two from the Sand - left Konoha the next morning. They were completely prepared for the mission and had plenty of rest, food, and weapons to get started. Sakura was right in that the trip did take approximately 6 hours...well, actually it was closer to 7 because the team did take their time to have lunch in the forest on the way.

Kankuro was appointed the official lead with Sakura as his back-up. He also took the lead in the cross-formation they used when jumping from tree to tree most of the way to the village. Right before they reached their destination, the forest ended. The four shinobi dropped out of the trees and stopped to regroup for the last, short trek to the village itself.

"You all know what to do, right?" Kankuro said.

Three shinboi nodded in return. Sakura walked behind one of the larger trees while the three men remained standing there.

"You, too, Jento," said Kankuro, prodding the young shinobi along.

"Oh, right!" said Jento who immediately dropped to the ground and opened up his pack.

While Jento brought out what looked to be clothes, Kankuro continued talking to him. "You are a well-trained, young shinobi, but when wearing the clothes a normal villager would wear you look to be somebody's son or younger brother."

Just then Sakura emerged from behind the tree. Jento freaked a little because he hadn't completely finished changing.

"Just put your pants on," said Kankuro. "Believe me, you'll both see and be seen a lot more in your shinobi career no matter how hard you try to be discrete."

Sakura was dressed in a pair of brown pedal-pushers with an oversized light top that fell to her mid-thighs. On her feet were a simple set of thongs. Her hair was tied back with a hair band through this one did not show the Leaf symbol on it anywhere.

"How do I look?" Sakura asked.

Kankuro answered in his mind before he answered with his mouth. _Amazing. You are gorgeous even with those simple clothes on._ "You look good."

He turned to glimpse at Jento who had just finished pulling his shirt on.

"You are to go to the Pig and Whistle, order dinner, and wait for one of the villagers to sit next to you," said Kankuro.

"The villager isn't a villager, right?" asked Sakura. "The villager is a member of ANBU and will ask a bunch of questions as if we are strangers. Don't forget the code word. He or she will pass something to us with any additional information we might need including our home for the duration of the mission."

"Right," answered Kankuro. "And if anyone asks, you and Jento are a brother and sister who just recently lost their parents and you've come to town looking for a fresh start."

"Got it," said Sakura.

Sai sighed. "And we just stay out here waiting," he lamented. Until Sakura could come back under cover of darkness, he and Kankuro would simply wait.

"I'm confused," said Jento. "Isn't it better if one of you two go and pose as the brother? I'm not going to go out often...in fact, sensei, you've asked me to stay inside the house as much as possible."

"That's exactly the point, Jento," said Kankuro. "If someone comes to the door, Sai and I will not be able to answer it. We aren't going to allow anyone to know we are here for fear of setting off Kanoshi's suspicions. Only Sakura and you are to be seen."

"Oh, I see," said Jento.

"Alright, enough talk. Are you ready?" Sakura asked the young shinobi.

He nodded.

Kankuro and Sai stood at the tree line as their two team members started walking the last half mile or so to the village.

The sun was getting lower in the sky and Kankuro hoped everything would be ok. This was, after all, just the plan to get into the village. They would need to gather additional data to see how to address the capture or elimination of Kanoshi.

Sai sat down against a tree and rifled through his backpack. He took out a sketch book and started drawing.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Kankuro said to make conversation.

"It's not the only thing that's beautiful around here," said Sai.

"And what does that mean?" Kankuro quipped defensively.

"I know we are on a mission and all, but it is pretty obvious from the way you look at Sakura that you are interested in her," said Sai pretty matter-of-factly.

"I'm that obvious, huh," said Kankuro.

Sai looked up and smiled at him. "Yes, pretty obvious. Emotions aren't really my forte, so if I'm noticing it you know it has to be bad."

"Great," said Kankuro. "I guess I need to try harder..."

"Well, that's up for discussion, too," said Sai. "She's talked about you in the past, too, you know."

"She has?" Kankuro questioned.

"Yes," he replied. "I would venture a guess that she might like you as well. I think you are the first person I have known her to take an interest in since the days of Sasuke."

"Sasuke Uchiha," Kankuro said aloud at hearing the name.

"She'll never fully rid herself of him. She was connected with him too long, even while he was away from the village. That bond is unbreakable. But at least she is finally coming to terms with the fact that she needs to move on," said Sai.

Kankuro didn't reply at first, but merely nodded his head at what his friend and fellow war veteran was now saying.

"So I might have a chance," he said aloud, mainly to himself.

"Probably," Sai said.

Sai continued to sketch as the sun continued to sink lower in the sky. "It won't be too long now," said Sai. "You might want to..."

"Yeah, you're right. Geez, I hate this part," said Kankuro.

Sai put his sketch book down on the ground and reached over to his bag to pull it close. He undid the clasps and reached in to pull out clothes.

"We need to look the part, too," said Sai. "Despite the fact that we are going to try not to be seen, the fact is, two men in villager clothes will stand out a lot less than shinobi."

"I know," said Kankuro. He held a cloth in his left hand as he poured water from a canteen onto it. Then he started scrubbing.

"...and that kabuki paint would really give us away," said Sai.

"I said, I know!" insisted Kankuro. He hardly ever didn't have a face fully covered in paint when he was out in public.

Sai smiled at Kankuro's discomfort. He knew that Kankuro didn't like this but he was sucking it up just the same. "Now I get to be one of the few who has seen you without your paint."

Kankuro noted what he had said. "My family, obviously, but you are one of the last of Team Kakashi," said Kankuro. "Sakura saved my life before. I was poisoned and sitting in a hospital in Suna when Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi all arrived. She not only saw me without my paint, but she's seen some pretty intimate places. Hell, she was pulling the poison out from my organs directly with her chakra."

_Yeah, she is pretty amazing_, Kankuro thought to himself.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Sakura and Jento walked into the village and found the place called Pig and Whistle.

"Welcome, welcome. New to town? Oh, it doesn't matter, come have a seat. Anywhere is fine!" said the waitress.

"Thank you," said Sakura. She led Jento to a table in the back corner.

"I'm starving," Jento admitted.

"Frankly, so am I," Sakura said. "I guess we got the better end of this deal." She whispered using the side of her hand as a shield and cracked a smile.

"Here you go, miss," said the waitress as she handed her a menu.

Sakura immediately froze. She noticed that the waitress held the menu open from the top as she handed it to her. Also grasped in her hand was a slip of paper.

"Thank you very much," Sakura answered. She had been expecting a villager, not the waitress herself to be her contact. Well, that was fast.

She pretended to peruse the menu while reading the note.

_Was told Sakura Haruno would be on mission. Knew you in a heartbeat, no code phrase necessary. I'm a fan - was saved by your medical ninjutsu during the war. Nothing new with enemy in past 2 days. All relevant info already shared with Leaf. You will be staying in the guest house right outside of town. Walk South down the main street. House is on right and is green. I was staying there, but told owners I was leaving and that my niece was coming to town with her brother and needed a place to stay. Parents dead, now looking for fresh start. Already paid for one month. I am reporting back to Leaf this evening. Good luck._

Sakura thought to herself. _One month? I hope not. But I guess we do need to be careful and stay under the radar for the time being no matter what it takes._

"Are you ready?" the waitress asked the duo when she showed back up at the table.

"I'd like a bowl of miso soup and the katsudon," said Jento. He closed his menu and handed it back to the waitress.

Sakura and her eyes met and a silent communication was made. Sakura nodded.

"And you miss?" the waitress asked.

"I'll just have the same," she said.

The waitress took her menu as well. "Thank you. That will be right up."

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

"Here she comes," said Sai sensing Sakura approaching.

She stopped running when she reached them. She bent over to catch her breath for a moment as Kankuro and Sai picked up their packs.

"Is everything ok?" Kankuro asked.

Sakura looked up and smiled. "The infiltration is complete," she said.

"Jento is at the place we're staying?" Sai asked.

"Yes, we went there right after dinner," said Sakura. "Do you know he started to ask me what we were going to do because we had never been contacted while we were eating?"

Kankuro laughed. "I take it he never knew a thing."

"It ended up being the waitress. We're staying at the place she stayed at. I'm her niece and I needed a place to stay. It all worked out because she is going out of town tonight," explained Sakura.

"Sounds like a good story to me," Sai said.

"The house is perfect. Just outside of town on the south side. Although...," Sakura said.

"What?" Kankuro asked.

"There are only two bedrooms," Sakura explained.

"Somehow, we should be able to make that work," Kankuro said. He secretly wished that he would not get the couch though...he did not sleep well when not in a bed.

"Let's get going," said Sakura.

Suddenly Kankuro's stomach made a loud growling noise. He turned a little pink.

Sakura smiled and then laughed. "There are benefits of not wearing your kabuki paint, huh."

"What are you talking about?" Kankuro asked.

"You're blushing," she noted. She turned and started walking towards the village.

Kankuro looked at Sai. He raised his eyebrows and smiled back as if to say "see?"

Kankuro exhaled and started walking with Sai not far behind.

"Don't worry," Sakura shouted to the two men behind her. "We already bought dinner from that restaurant and brought it back to the house. You'll be eating in less than a half hour!"

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Sai and Kankuro got to the house unseen and devoured their dinner.

"That was good," said Sai when he finished.

"Good choice," said Kankuro.

"Thanks," said Sakura as she cleaned up after them.

They moved to the living room. Sai prepared a fire in the fireplace. Kankuro had already made sure all the shades were pulled so no one could look in and see who was inside.

"So what do we do first?" Jento asked.

"A little surveillance," said Kankuro. "The three of us will take turns watching the enemy's house for at least the next few days or so. Maybe we'll learn something that might be useful."

"Agreed. Three eight hour shifts," said Sakura.

"I'll take the first one," said Sai.

"Ok, wake me up in the middle of the night and I'll relieve you," said Kankuro.

"Will do," said Sai.

Sai hesitated for just a moment.

"What's wrong?" asked Sakura.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I should wear shinobi clothing or villager clothing. If I get seen, the villager clothing would be better for explanations, through shinobi clothing is much less noticeable in the middle of the night."

"I'd stick with villager clothing," said Sakura. "But it's up to you. Either way is fine."

Sai thought for a moment. "I think I'll just stay like this," he said. "See you." He carefully peeked out a window looking for any sort of moment at all. He quietly opened the door and slipped out.

"What about me?" Jento finally asked. "Why can't I help?"

"I've already explained to you. You are young, inexperienced, and don't have any particularly effective shinobi skills as of yet. You are the strategist. You pick up on things and remember things. Your job is firmly behind the lines," explained Kankuro.

"Fine," said Jento flatly. He stood up and walked off into another part of the house leaving Kankuro and Sakura alone in the living room.

"Long day," Kankuro lamented to Sakura.

"Tell me about it," she replied. "Do you want some tea?"

"I'd love some," he answered.

She rose and made the tea. She walked back and put a cup in front of Kankuro on the coffee table. She then sat down and put her cup down as well.

"So what do you think is going to happen with all this?" Sakura asked.

"No idea," Kankuro replied. "Though I am pretty confident we're going to get this bastard."

"Where'd you put your puppets? I haven't seen them since I left for the village," said Sakura.

"Oh," Kankuro replied and leaned over to grab his pack from the floor. "They're in this scroll for now."

"That's handy," she answered.

"I can bring a lot of puppets with me now," said Kankuro. "I remember the days before I learned how to put them in scrolls...when crow rode on my back."

"I think when I met you that was how it was," said Sakura. "Though that gourd of Gaara's looked much heavier. I didn't envy either of you."

"No doubt," said Kankuro. "It is much easier nowadays. I've also gotten much better at wielding them."

Sakura yawned and stretched her arms up high. "I'm more tired than I thought."

"Go to bed then," said Kankuro.

"Aren't you tired?" Sakura asked.

"A little. I guess I could get some sleep," said Kankuro. "I should probably shower first."

"Oh, you're right," said Sakura.

"You go first. So you can get to bed first," said Kankuro.

"Thanks," she replied. She walked over to the bathroom door and stopped for a second.

"What's wrong?" Kankuro asked.

"Hold on," she answered. She quietly walked to the bedroom door on the right side of the bathroom. She turned the knob and opened it. After peeking inside, she closed the door again.

"Crap," she said.

"What?"

"Jento is sound asleep, sprawled diagonally on the bed in that room," she nodded.

Kankuro sighed. His prediction of him taking the couch just might come true.

"It's fine," Sakura said. "I'll take the couch."

"You don't mind?" Kankuro asked.

Sakura immediately answered, "Wait, you really want me to take the couch?"

"But you just said...," said Kankuro.

"I hate the couch!" she exclaimed. "I never get a good night's sleep on the couch."

"Me neither," said Kankuro. "If I did, I'd take it. I just figured we need to be ready for anything here. I really don't want to be exhausted tomorrow."

They stared at one another in silence.

"Fine," she said as she looked down. "It's a mission. We do what we have to. We'll both take the bed."

"Wait...what?" Kankuro said.

"You heard me," Sakura said.

Again, silence. Kankuro really wasn't sure what he should do here.

"We are friends after all. It's not like I'd just invite anyone I didn't know to sleep in the same bed as me. It's not like we're...," she said.

"Sure, right, right," he said.

"I'm going to take a shower. Be quiet when you come in," she said. She didn't even wait for a reply and entered the bathroom.

She showered and quickly entered the bedroom not even bothering to look at the man who would be sharing her bed as he still sat there on the couch.

She slipped under the sheets and lay there listening to what else was going on around her.

She heard the shower turn on, then off again. She heard the click of a light switch and then the opening of the door to the bedroom. After some shuffling, another body slipped under the sheets. There was no touching or additional talk.

"Good night, Kankuro," she finally said.

"Good night, Sakura."


	8. Chapter 8: Getting Nowhere Fast

Kankuro's internal clock was nearly foolproof. Despite the new sleeping circumstances, he woke up right on cue between two and three in the morning. He lifted his arms above his head and yawned while he stretched.

"Hmmm."

He turned quickly to see what had made the sound. The panic he felt for a split second quickly subsided as he once again realized his exact circumstances...that there was another shinobi in the bed with him.

_I've got to get going_, he thought to himself. Sai had, after all, graciously offered to take the first shift even after the long trek from the Leaf to get here.

He dressed in his villager's garb and made his way out the door. If anyone had accidentally seen him, he would have looked just as normal as any other person. The only strange thing that might catch someone's attention if he was seen was the current time of day. After all, there weren't too many people - villagers or not - out at this time of night.

Kankuro walked less than ten minutes before he heard the anticipated bird call. He returned it with a call of his own before continuing to walk directly towards the origin of the sound.

Sai swooped down from a tree and landed next to his relief.

"Anything happen?" Kankuro asked.

"No, nothing," Sai replied. "But then again, I didn't expect much. I located the building where ANBU said Kanoshi supposedly lives. It's just up that hill." He pointed in the general direction of 2 o'clock from where they were standing. "No signs of life...no lights, no one entered or left."

"Got it," acknowledged Kankuro. "I'll take it from here."

In a twist of ink barely visible in the darkness of the night, Sai disappeared leaving Kankuro on his own for at least the next third of a day.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

Sai arrived back at the house they would call homebase for the duration of the mission. As he expected, it was dark and not a sound could be heard. He stood in the living room and stared at the two bedroom doors.

He had already guessed the situation, but just to be sure, he opened the door on the right and peered in...there was Jento taking up the entire bed. He repeated his actions on the door to the left. Inside, Sakura slept soundly.

_I guess I'm on the couch_, he thought to himself.

He showered, then made himself as comfortable as he could on the couch. After some tossing and turning, he drifted off...

"Sai!" Sakura shouted. She was peering over him, both of her hands on her hips.

He popped up in a frenzy and immediately took note that it was now light outside.

"Oh, Sakura. It's you. What's wrong?" he asked sleepily. He felt as though he had just gone to sleep, though the daylight streaming around the edges of the closed blinds meant that it had been at least a few hours since he had laid down.

"There is no way you are going to get any good, solid sleep here on the couch...not to mention where are Jento and I supposed to go while you are out here?" Sakura asked.

"I arrived back here in the middle of the night and didn't want to disturb either one of you. Well...actually, even if I had wanted to take half of Jento's bed, there was no way I was going to fit...," Sai started to explain.

"Sai, how long have we been teammates?" Sakura asked.

"Um, for about...," he said as he tried to count the exact amount of time it had been.

"What I'm trying to say is...next time, just come to the bed. I know you wouldn't be as comfortable with Jento since you don't know him that well, but we're friends and we've slept side-by-side many times," Sakura said.

"Are you sure?" Sai asked.

"Of course! If Kankuro can sleep in the same bed as me, you most certainly can," Sakura added.

"What?" Sai asked even though he had clearly heard what had just been said. "You let Kankuro sleep in the bed with you?"

"Sure, why not?" she asked. "The couch looks dreadfully uncomfortable and it wasn't fair that I took the bed. Jento was already hogging his bed. And Kankuro is my friend, too."

"Sakura, are you sure that was a wise choice?" Sai asked.

"I don't get you, Sai," she said. "Why would it be ok for you, but not for Kankuro?"

"Sakura, you really don't know? Kankuro is a man after all," Sai said.

"And...so are you," she added.

Sai was at a loss. He was trying not to be blunt. He recognized that his was a delicate conversation, but also knew that he wasn't the best person to be doing this. Unfortunately, there was no one else who could do it at the current time.

He exhaled in frustration and decided just to say it straight. "Sakura, you like him, don't you?"

"Sure, I like him. Like I said, we're friends," Sakura answered.

"No, I mean like-like. You have feelings for him...romantic feelings," Sai clarified.

Sakura was taken aback. She hadn't realized that her recent increased interest in Kankuro had been noticeable to anyone.

"Um...I," she started. "Ok, I admit it. I do feel something for him. I'm not sure what it is yet though. Right now, we're still strictly platonic. After all, why should my one-sided thoughts be..."

"He feels the same way, you know," Sai interrupted. "It's not one-sided."

Sakura didn't reply at first.

"He does?" she questioned.

"I don't know if he knows what it is yet either," said Sai. "But yes, he has taken a liking to you as well."

Sakura turned a nice shade of pink.

"I don't have a problem with you two being together...now or in the future, as a crush or much more than that. Just be careful, Sakura. He is a great guy, but we are on a mission here. And he is from another village, too. I just don't want to see you get hurt and I don't want to see this mission fail."

"Don't worry, Sai. I hear you loud and clear. I promise you the mission will be my first priority," said Sakura.

Sai nodded at his friend and smiled. "Good enough for me," he said.

"Now get your butt to the bed!" she ordered him, pointing to the bedroom she slept in last night.

"Ok, ok," he said quickly making his way into the bedroom.

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

The first few days were full of nothing much. The three shinobi who were assigned to watch duty did their due diligence, but nothing was ever seen or heard around the small cottage near the top of the hill.

It was mid-morning on the fourth day when Jento noted a strange tapping noise was coming from the window. He peeked around the shade and saw a medium-sized bird pecking at the window.

"Um, Sakura?" Jento said. "I think there's a bird..."

"There's a messenger bird?" she questioned. She quickly opened the door to the outside and went directly for the window Jento had been peering through. The bird didn't move (as it had been trained not to) as Sakura carefully removed the message strapped onto its chest.

"Go ahead back," she told the bird. "Sai's on this mission and we'll send one of his creatures if we need to send something." With that, the bird flew away.

She unfurled the small scroll and read it as she walked back into the house.

"What does it say?" Jento asked.

Just then, the door to the bedroom opened and Sai emerged.

"Did you get a message?" he asked.

"Yes," she said in a serious tone. "And it's not good news."

"What do you mean?" asked Sai.

"The enemy we think is Kanoshi, well, two days ago, it seems he struck again," said Sakura.

"Impossible," said Sai. "We've been watching that house 24 hours a day."

"We must be missing something," Sakura added. "We need to regroup and discuss what we need to do moving forward. What we are doing now just isn't cutting it."

"Perhaps I should go with you when you relieve Kankuro in a few hours," suggested Sai.

Sakura thought for a few seconds. "Better yet, I'm just going to go get Kankuro and bring him back. If that is really Kanoshi's house...and I do trust the ANBU on that one...he obviously has other ways to move around other than blatantly going in and out the front door. Us maintaining a watch on his home hasn't done a thing for us."

Sai nodded. "Agreed."

OlOlOlOlOlOlO

In the early afternoon, the four shinobi who were on the mission finally sat together for the first time in days.

"I still don't know if I'm comfortable with this," admitted Kankuro. "Someone should be out there watching that house."

"I think not having someone there is low risk at the moment," said Sai.

"We received a message from the Leaf earlier today stating that the enemy has struck again...and it was during a time we were actively watching the house. There are several possibilities as to why we didn't see a thing," said Sakura. "This could be the wrong house, but like I've already explained to Sai, I am choosing to believe that our ANBU did their jobs and had pretty conclusive evidence that this is the right place."

"There is always the possibility that the man they were watching does live there, but that he is not the puppet jutsu user we've been searching for," said Sai.

"There's that and there is also the possibility that we have the right man, the right house, and that there is another exit somewhere else that allows him to come and go as he pleases," said Sakura.

Kankuro pounded his fist on the table. "If that's the case, we'd just be wasting our time watching the place from afar."

"Which is why we are here talking," added Sakura, as if it wasn't already obvious.

Jento wasn't really part of the main conversation. He was in the room, but sat off to one side reading. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but he had learned by now that even with the good suggestions or information he might have, it wasn't worth butting in at the wrong time lest he be ignored again. However, the time for him to pipe in was fast approaching.

"The way I see it...," Jento started. The intro quickly garnered the attention of the three veterans. "We've got two options. We either storm the house or..." He paused. "I'm not really sure how this would work, but we could..."

"Spit it out already!" Kankuro insisted.

"It's just that...it's going to make this mission a little long and drawn out," Jento explained.

"What is it?" Sai questioned.

"We could lure him out," explained Jento. "The villagers in town don't know much about this man, but from them we did garner the bits of information that we have today. The man we know as Kanoshi must come out now and again else the villagers would know nothing. We need to show our faces...not hide them away like we have been. That way there is a level of comfort amongst the villagers and possibly this enemy. We could befriend him and possibly gather additional information that might help us in the future. We still don't know a lot...certainly not enough to say for sure that this is the man who has been attacking those remote locations or even why he is doing it."

Sakura sighed loudly. "This is going to take forever," she lamented.

"Can you think of something better?" Kankuro asked her.

"No, I guess not," she replied. "So how are we going to do this?"

Kankuro thought for a second. "I still think Jento should remain hidden inside the house." He looked over at Jento and received a nod in return.

"I will look for a job in the village," said Sakura. "I'll pick a place where most villagers need to go to at least every once in a while...like a market or something like that. Oh, and I'll tell the owners of this house that a couple of friends are coming to visit for a while so they aren't surprised by the new faces they see."

"I'm going to make friends with the people in town who might have something to do with puppetry," stated Kankuro. "Perhaps I'll find a job as well, but we know that he is a puppet jutsu user and that means that on occasion, he may need to buy supplies. Wood, hardware...things like that."

"What about you, Sai?" Sakura asked.

"It seems that you two have the village covered. I think I am going to keep watching the house," said Sai.

"But Sai, what good will that do?" Sakura questioned.

Sai smiled. "I'm quite a good artist," he started. "I'm sure the trees and natural surroundings of that area will make for some nice drawings. Perhaps my presence in the area will force something."

"Oh, I see," said Jento. "You are going to keep watch, but do it out in the open so that if he's in there, he'll know you are outside."

"If nothing else, I may raise his curiousity," said Sai.

"We start tomorrow," said Kankuro. "For now, get a good night's rest."

"Uh, Sakura?" Sai asked.

"Hm?" she replied.

"Since we are all here at the same time...who is going to sleep in the bed with you tonight?"


End file.
